THE TURKS AND ARMENIANS.
By H. P. H.
Bearing of the Recent Massacres on the Eastern Question.
THE Eastern Question, or the future of the Turkish Empire, is one that has for many years occupied the attention of Europe more than any one political question. In the time of the Great Reformation, the Turks reached the zenith of their power, and for a time threatened to overrun all Europe; since that time they have gradually declined, till 1840, when the Turkish power practically lost its independence, and its affairs were taken in hand by the great powers of Europe, and since have been directed by them. It is generally understood that it is only a question of time till the Turk will have to leave Europe. Just when this will take place, and what disposition will be made of his territory, constitute the interesting phases of the Eastern Question. During the last fifty years this question has many times come to the front, and often its final solution has been expected. But it has continued unsettled to the present. In 1895 new troubles with the Armenians broke out, and as a result, the Christian world has been agitated to an unusual degree. Christians have always held the Turk in horror, and felt that he has no right in Palestine or Europe; it was this feeling that led to the Crusades; the same spirit exists to-day, and has been so greatly intensified by the recent Armenian massacres that there is a strong demand for the extermination of the "unspeakable Turk." Decided action seems inevitable as the result of present complications. What the result will be, and its effect on the whole world, is hardly dreamed of by the masses! To understand the situation more fully, let us consider briefly the position of the Armenians and their relation to the Turkish Empire. The Armenians, a heathen people at the time of Christ, embraced Christianity early in the Christian era. They have lived in the vicinity of Mount Ararat, and at times extended their territory down to the Mediterranean. Altho a high-spirited, liberty-loving people, it has been their lot to be most of the time of their history subject to some foreign power. When the Turks conquered Asia Minor, the Armenians fell under their power, and have since been their subjects. To-day, the Armenians number about three millions; and while the body of the nation is in the country called Armenia, in the vicinity of Mount Ararat, large numbers are scattered throughout the Turkish Empire. The high-spirited, liberty-loving, industrious Armenian is quite the opposite of the Turk in character; this has led to much friction; the Armenians have always groaned under the Turkish yoke, and sighed for liberation. They have employed every means in their power to gain this end. The more they did in this direction, the heavier the Turk bore down on them, to keep them in submission, until at times the strain became so great as to lead to an outbreak. One after another of the liberties of the Armenians were curtailed. They could not travel about as freely as other Turkish subjects, and were not allowed to carry arms. Being unable to do much in the interest of liberty at home, they began to migrate to other countries, especially France and the United States, where they printed revolutionary literature to send to their brethren at home. To hinder this work, the Turk interfered with their migration. Thus the strain continued to increase until the recent great outbreaks and massacres took place. At the time of the Berlin Congress in 1878, when the affairs of Turkey and Russia were arranged by the great powers of Europe, England acted a prominent part; she was commissioned to secure certain reforms in the government of the Armenians, and act as guardian of their interests. In remuneration for this, she was given possession of the island of Cyprus, which she has occupied from that time to the present. When the recent Armenian outbreaks began, England was in consequence the first to interfere and demand reforms in the administration of Armenian affairs. While various reforms were proposed and discussed, the situation of the Armenians grew worse, and the massacres continued and increased in severity till the indignation of the whole Christian world reached a high pitch, and almost with one voice it was demanded that the Turk be summarily dealt with. Now it was demanded not only that he be driven out of Europe and Palestine, but that he be exterminated. It is not our purpose to study this question from the political standpoint, but from the standpoint of the Word of God. Again and again it has been thought that we had reached the time of final solution of this question, and often politicians have even made out a map of the division of the territory of the Turk. But soon some unknown feature would appear, and the map would have to be revised. There is no certainty in political speculation about this question, hence we shall lose no time in this direction. What we desire to know is the truth, and that we can know of a certainty only as far as the Word of God speaks on the future of this question. And as we shall see in our next article, the Bible speaks definitely of the Turkish Empire, and shows what will be its end, and the meaning of this event to all the world.